Car-coupling



, LI, L. BIGELOW.

GARUOUPLIN'G.

No. 599,588. Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

jz z P llllll u couplings.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS L. BIGELOW, OF DELTA, COLORADO CAR-COU'PLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,588, dated February 22, 1898 Application filed March 29,1897. SerialNo. 629,732. (No model.)

T0 at whom it 777/0 7] concern! Be it known that I, LEWIS L. BIGELOW, of Delta, in the county of Delta and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates tocar-couplings of the hook-and-catch type, and has forits object to provide a car-coupling of such character which possesses novel features of construction, a'daptin git to automatically couple with a similar coupling and enabling the improved car-coupling to receive the end of a link projected from a common car-coupling which is to be coupled therewith. I i

A further object is to provide a couplingbar of novel constructionthat facilitates the coupling together and the releaseof two couplings having the improvements.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

. Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of two coupled car-couplings having the improvements, taken substantially onthe line 1 l in Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a plan .view of one of the improved Fig. 3 is atra'nsverse sectional View substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of two couplings in coupled condition, taken, essentially, on the line 4 4 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the novel coupling-bar for the' car-coupling.

The draw-head 10 and drawbar 11 are formed integrally from a suitable metal and are preferably shaped as shown in the drawings.

The draw-bar 11, which may be cylindrical, is afforded a suitable length for efficient service and is provided with an encirclingbufferspring 12, that whenthe draw-bar is loosely connected to a car-frame will be adapted to cushion the impact of other cars on the drawhead and relieve the draft strain imposed'on the coupling in service.

The draw-head 10 is recessed from the front end rearwardly, as at a, said recess being essentially rectangular in cross-section, At one side of the recess a an intersecting recess a is formed in the draw-head 10 and of less height than the recess a, these two recesses being practically one chamber provided for the reception of two coupling devices that will presently be described.

The coupling-bar is a novel feature of the invention, and essentially consists of an elongated link 13, from one end of which projects integrally a straight draft-limb 14, terminating at its free end in a catch-block 15, as best shown in Fig. 5.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 5 that the catch-block 15 is provided with a lockingface I), which slopes upwardly and away from thelink 13, and, furthermore, said catchblock is furnished with another lockingshoulder 0, extending downwardly and rearwardly from the under surface of the draftlimb 14.

The catch-block 15 is sloped at (1 downwardly and rearwardly from the upper edge of the inclined locking-face b and has on its lower face a correspondingly-sloped face (1, extended upwardly and rearwardly, commenc ing at a point suitably removed from and at the ,rear of the locking-shoulder 0, these formations d d being provided to facilitate the insertion of the coupling-bar in an opposing draw-head, as will be further explained.

A vertical slot e is formed in the draw-head 10 and extends from the recess a through the top'wall of the draw-head. In the slot 6 a locking-dog 16 is pivoted on a bolt 6, and'on said dog two members g h are formed, which are suitably separated and project toward the rear of the draw-head.

The relative position of the locking-dog 16 is such as will permit the freeen'd of the member g to engage with the sloping face I) of the catch-block on the coupling-bar when the lat ter is sufficiently inserted within the recess a of the draw-head 10. It will be observed that the member or toe g of the dog 16 has a flat face at the end, which contacts with the sloping face I) of the catch-block 15.

The locking-shoulder c on the catch-block 15 is designed to contact with a mating shoulder 0, formed in the lower surface of the recess a, as is clearly shown at the lefthand side in Fig. 4, and thus aid in holding the coupling-bar against withdrawal.

From the construction and arrangement of the described parts it will be evident that the insertion of the sloped end of the catch-block 15 of the coupling-bar within the recess a of the draw -head 10 will elevate the locking member 9 of the dog 16 by an engagement of said sloped end with the rearwardly-inclined front end of said member, and when this part of the dog drops in front of the inclined face I) of the catch-block the coupling-bar will be auto matically locked within the draw-head 10.

The upper member h of the locking-dog 16 is in the form of a finger that projects rearwardly and slightly downward when the lower member 9 is in locked contact with the catchblock 15 of the coupling-bar, and this finger his rounded on its free end, as shown in Fig. 4.

In the vertical slot 6 of the draw-head 10 a tripping-lever 17 is pivoted and has a downwardly-curved formation tat its end, which is rearwardly disposed when the dog 16 is in locking engagement with the coupling-bar, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The main portion of the lever 17 projects toward the front of the draw-head and lies thereon when the dog 16 has interlocked connection with the catch-block 15 of the coupling-bar, and this position of the lever disposes the curved end i of the lever at some distance from the dog 16. It will be seen, however, that if a release of the coupling-bar is desired it is only necessary to rock the lever 17 rearwardly, as indicated at the righthand side in Fig. 4, which will cause the hooked end 2' of the lever to catch upon the lower side of the finger h and rock the dog upwardly far enough to release the couplingbar, as is illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 4:.

Vhen the lever 17 is swung rearwardly to release the dog 16, said lever may lie upon the transverse bumper-timber A of the carframe and so be in a convenient position for manipulation by a trainman on the car to throw the lever forward and thus allow the dog 16 to drop into proper position for a coupled engagement with an inserted coupling-bar.

The draw-head 10 is vertically perforated at two points disposed in a line parallel with the median line of the draw-head, said perforations being formed for the free introduction of two coupling-pins 18 19, which pass down through the elongated portion 13 of the coupling-bar already described.

Preferably the heads of the coupling-pins 18 10 are located in countersunk recesses produced for their reception in the top surface of the draw-head 10, so as to prevent the projection of the bolts above said surface. (See Fig. 3.)

The coupling-pins 18 19 are so positioned in the draw-head that they will be respectively near the rear and front ends of the linkopening when the coupling-bar is to be held projected from the front of the draw-head for a coupled engagement of its catch-block with the dog in an opposing draw-head.

It will be seen that the arrangement of the two coupling-pins 18 19 on each draw-head of two connect-ed car-couplings prevents any objectionable end motion and lateral motion of the coupling-bars, whereby theyare adapted, when the couplings approach each other, to freely enter the recesses a, that are respectively alined with the portions (4 of said recesses, wherein the links 13 of the coupling-bars are introduced and secured by the means described.

It is claimed for this improved car-coupling that it is simple, practical, and durable, the construction of parts enabling an operator to readily arrange a coupling of the improved style on a locomotive for automatic engagement with a like coupling on a car.

Any number of cars having the improvement maybe coupled together automatically if the couplings have their levers l7 rocked forwardly so as to depress the toes on the (logs 16 for coupled engagement with the catch-blocks on the coupling-bars.

It will be seen that the forward couplingpin 19 may be utilized for coupling a common coupling-link with the draw-head 10. In such an emergency the coupling-bar that belongs to the draw-head must be removed to permit the free insertion of said ordinary couplinglink.

lVhen the part 14 of the coupling-bar is secured by the dog 16 so that the link portion 13 is held projected from the draw-head, the link portion may enter a common draw-head and be coupled thereto by the pin of said coupling.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent The combination with a draw-head having a recess, a lateral extension of said recess of less height than the main recess, and two spaced coupling-pins passing down through the draw-head and through the lateral extension of the recess, of a coupling-bar having a rigid link on one end and a catch-block on the opposite end, said link portion of the coupling-bar being located in the extension of the recess in the draw-head and engaged by the spaced coupling-pins, as specified.

LEWIS L. BIGELOWV.

Witnesses:

NEWTON H. CASTLE, J. D. POPE.

ICO 

